Don't Ask, Don't Follow is one of those books that you just can't stop reading, it's engaging and has a great plot. The story is well-written and full of action and mystery and sometimes, the advice, don't ask, dont follow, seems like the best course of action to follow. Ms. Keliikoa wrote another thrilling story and I'm sure more will come!
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

The action in this book started immediately and kept me reading long into the night. I just had to read one more chapter, and then one more... I really liked the writing style, even though now and then I felt like the story relied too much on assumptions rather than facts. The characters were interesting as was the mystery that Beth unraveled. Such a great read.

DON'T ASK, DON'T FOLLOW by Mary Keliikoa was a marvelous read -- tightly written and suspense-filled, this story of a paralegal Beth tracking down her sister Lindsay to figure out why she was running away from the scene and why she left only a cryptic note instructing her "don't ask, don't follow." The setting of Portland and Oregon were a major benefit for me as well as Beth's commitment to clear herself of wrongdoing while following harrowing clues to what could ultimately be the undoing of all she knows and values in her life. Keliikoa held my attention throughout with well-drawn, believable characters I cared about. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Title: Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow
Author: Mary Keliikoa
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Rating: 3.5 stars

Another book that sparked some great conversation over at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse!

Beth is a quiet paralegal who is perfectly happy being a borderline workaholic shut-in, unlike her sister Lindsay who is also a workaholic, but in the investigative reporter field, always out and loud trying to solve problems. So when Beth is working upstairs instead of down at the company party (because her sister bailed on her), she’s shocked to see Lindsay darting away from Beth’s boss’ office and refusing to stop when Beth calls her. When she gets back to her office, she’s shocked to discover that her boss has been murdered. She begins to pick up on little clues that her sister left behind for her, and from there she’s led into the darker side of Portland, meeting people she’s not sure she can trust (who definitely don’t trust her), being unable to trust every she’s always known, and questioning all the things she thought she knew about herself, her sister, and her affluent family.

This was an interesting story! I’ll start with the negative and get that out of the way - it dragged on probably 30-50 pages too long. Had this clocked in at around 280 pages, I think it could’ve been a five star for me. Unfortunately there was a lot of ‘tail-chasing’ that felt repetitive. And in fairness to the author, that is probably extremely accurate to how this case would’ve been in reality. Unfortunately with thrillers, it’s best to suspend reality to give us the best, fast-paced details that keep us turning pages. And for that, Mary was very successful in the first 25% and last 20%

The book does start fast and end fast, and I personally really enjoyed the payoff, so if you get to the middle and feel like it’s dragging and you want to stop…don’t! It’s rewarding to see how Lindsay’s story ends, along with everyone else we meet along the way.

We have a so many different people in this story who could be deemed unreliable based solely on their careers or life situations - paralegal, attorneys, politicians, young people suffering from addiction, a non-us citizen living in the states illegally, reporters, chief of police, rich white people - the list goes on and on. I loved that aspect, it was more than just a ‘you can’t trust this person’ but the career path or life circumstance and the stereotypes surrounding them get in your head and you can’t help wondering if they can be trusted. It was far from your run-of-the-mill unreliable story in that sense and I found it creative & refreshing.

Another thing I enjoyed is that not everything was a resolved happy ending tied up in a bow, that would be virtually impossible based on the events that unfolded; however, I did like that there were aspects of a happily ever after that you don’t always see in thrillers. I don’t mind depressing or open-ended finales, but every once in awhile I do love a warm & fuzzy feeling when I’m closing a book that has been otherwise quite bleak.

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" by Mary Keliikoa is a mystery novel featuring private investigator Kelly Pruett. In this book, Kelly finds herself caught up in a dangerous investigation involving a missing person, a corrupt politician, and a secret that someone is willing to kill to protect. As Kelly delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a web of deceit and betrayal that puts her own life at

Don't Ask, Don't Follow started out on a high note. But what killed it was when the main character, Beth decided to cover for her sister in a murder investigation. It was a habit to cover for her sister that carried forward from childhood. The incident wouldn't have bothered me otherwise. But Beth is a paralegal and should know better. After that, the noel just lost all credibility with me. And my motivation to continue reading was lost. A one star DNF at 34%

This is the first novel that I've read from Keliikoa. And while I didn't care for this particular novel, it won't stop me from trying to read any of her other works.

I received a DRC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

Don't Ask, Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa is an excellent thriller that I absolutely loved.

I really enjoyed the first person POV. Reading the story from Beth's perspective was really unique.

Beth is a paralegal in Portland and finds her boss's dead body.

This story has intrigue and so many secrets. When Beth sees Lindsay, her sister fleeing the scene, but is it a trick of the eye? She can't reach Lindsay for days and Beth becomes a suspect.

Beth is looking into her sister's life, who is an investigative reporter.

I really enjoyed this mystery. The story is perfectly plotted with incredible twists.

I love this author's previous books and this one was no EXCPETION.

A holiday party turns deadly for someone at Beth Ralston's father's law firm, where she works as a paralegal. Beth hides the fact that she glimpsed her sister Lindsay fleeing the scene from the police and, despite her sister's message "don't ask, don't follow", Beth feels compelled to find her sister, which means figuring out whether Lindsay is the killer or in danger herself, even if it puts Beth in danger herself. I found myself quickly immersed in the story. I enjoyed the quick, action-packed plot that held several surprises, and I kicked myself for not seeing one big twist coming!

This psychological thriller gripped me from the beginning with murder, family secrets, missing persons and illegal behavior.
‌
Beth is a paralegal at her dad’s prestigious law firm. She leaves a work party to head back up to the office and finds her boss murdered at his desk. She runs out and sees someone who looks suspiciously like her sister, Lindsay, quickly leaving.
‌
Then Lindsay has disappeared. Beth takes a page out of Lindsay’s investigative reporter book and starts trying to find out what happened. She finds a connection between her sister and her boss. The more she uncovers, the more confused she becomes. The web of lies is a big one!
‌
She suspects she’s being followed and realizes her life could be in danger. Some great twists, lies, and secrets. Had me on the edge of my seat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow ... as an older sister I can say I sure hope my younger sister would go to as much effort to find me if I went missing as Beth did for Lindsey. Beth is the motivated and driven younger sister, Lindsey is the older sister who is fighting for a better world and looking into the shadows for her next story. When she goes missing, Beth finds herself following her sisters path to try and put the pieces together of what Lindsey was investigating and what happened to her.

The pacing of this book is a bit on the slower side as we need a lot of information fed to us to make sense of the story. There are a lot of assumptions made which do turn out to be almost right. But that is the twist, we figure out what is really going on and it's not what we thought.

Don't Ask, Don't Follow
by Mary Keliikoa
Pub Date: Jun 04 2024

This is the first book by Mary Kiliikoa I’ve read. I enjoyed the book but it was a little lethargic at times. It was a family drama and also a thriller. There was a lot of suspense, the characters were well written and likable, with that being said, I would highly recommend this book.

Synopsis: Murder, dark family secrets, and the unwavering bond of sisterhood— regardless of the cost. Beth Ralston, a paralegal in Portland, Oregon, would rather be racking up billable hours than mingling at an office party— especially when her sister Lindsay, aka her plus one, is a no-show. After making her obligatory rounds, Beth returns to her office to find that her boss, who she'd talked with moments before, has been murdered. She sees a woman fleeing the scene. Wait— was that Lindsay? Unable to catch up to her in time, Beth waits for the police to arrive and notices that Lindsay has left her phone behind with an unsent text message to Beth displayed on the screen: “ Don't ask. Don't follow.”

Many thanks to #DontAskDontFollow #NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC of this book. Pub Date 6/4/2024

Beth Ralston is a paralegal for her families law firm in Portland Oregon. She has invited her sister Lindsay, an investigative reporter, as her plus one. Lindsay is a no show, so Beth decides to go out and mingle on her own. When Beth has had enough, she heads back to her office where she finds her boss murdered. When Beth looks around she sees a figure running that looks like her sister Lindsey. Beth finds Lindsay’s cell phone with an unsent text, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow.”

Beth needs to find Lindsay and find out what is really going on, since she is front and center in the suspect list. Beth starts to find what Lindsay was investigating, and it could be the end of what Beth has known as family and friends.

I enjoyed the book, just like I have the other Mary Kiliikoa books I’ve read. This one did get a little sluggish for me in the middle. The characters are well written and well developed. I would definitely recommend this one. This book walked the line between family drama and thriller, it’s quite simply not one to be missed. Rating of 4 stars.

I've enjoyed a couple of other books by this author, and especially liked Denied, part of the Kelly Pruett series. Don't Ask, Don't Follow is a standalone Mystery Thriller/Suspense story that is very engaging. Beth Ralston has always covered for her sister, Lindsay, for whatever her older sibling was up to. When Beth would want to know what she was doing, Lindsay always replied, "Don't ask."

Years later, Beth works as a paralegal for her father's law firm, and leaves a company holiday party to speak to her boss. Beth is shocked when she finds Craig dead in his office. She thinks she sees her sister run out of his office and later finds Lindsay's phone in her purse with a message that says, "Don't ask. Don't follow". When Lindsay appears to be missing, Beth will do anything to find her and protect her, no matter what the message says.

I really liked this book and was in suspense from the beginning to the end. I like Beth and know she is doing her best to find out if Lindsay is in danger from something she was looking into for her job as an investigative reporter. However, she sometimes makes poor decisions, taking unnecessary risks. At one point in the story, I was yelling, "Just call 9-1-1!" However, even though Beth sometimes frustrated me, this means I was engrossed in the story and really cared about her character, which is a good thing! I thought I had figured out one of the plot twists, but I was surprised when everything came to light.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

A solid slow-burn thriller read involving two sisters with generally good pacing, an interesting plot (though a bit predictable), and a satisfying ending. The story is told in the main character’s (Beth) first person POV and she is very likeable. I thought Beth’s parents’ characters could have been better developed to understand their motivations. I liked the relationship between Beth and her sister.

I hadn’t read this author before but I really like her writing style, her plotting, and the way in which the story came together in the end. No big twists but nonetheless a good read.

Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I am thoroughly impressed with this book and the story within it. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it will not be my last. I was drawn into this story from the beginning pages, and then I fell headfirst into it and did not come up for air until I finished it.

Beth Ralston is a paralegal at her father's law firm. Beth is not a social butterfly, which is why she is avoiding the company party. As she goes into the office of her boss, a woman flies out the door. She looks suspiciously like her sister, Lindsey. When Beth realizes that her boss has been murdered, she knows something is definitely wrong, besides the dead body in the chair behind the desk. Her sister is flighty at times and disappears for days in her quest for justice as an investigative journalist, but Beth knows she is incapable of murder. When she finds her sister's phone in her own bag with the simple code words they have used since their days of youth, she knows all is not right.

Beth takes up her sister's mantle of investigating, even though at first she has no idea what she is investigating. She just knows that someone killed her boss and her sister has disappeared because of it. It was a tense and electric storyline that will leave you on the edge of your seat. As Beth peels back layer after layer of the mystery, she is shocked to find something that will change her life forever. There are so many lies and long-buried secrets that will shock you to your core. Beth touched my heart with her fearlessness to find her sister against all odds, dead or alive. She used her intellectual abilities and love for her sister to continue the quest, even when it seemed others made assumptions about her sister. If you enjoy a solid mystery, you will enjoy this one. I proudly give this one five stars.

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is my first book by Mary Keliikoa, it grabbed my attention right away.

For Beth, a party at her family’s law firm ends in death and a cryptic message from her sister, Lindsey. Basically, Don’t Ask Don’t Follow as she is seen fleeing the scene of the crime. Does Beth follow those instructions, of course not .

What follows is 350 pages of Beth trying to figure out why her boss was killed, why she’s being followed, what her sister is up to, along with secrets of the past that are about to be revealed. And should those secrets even be revealed at all

I really enjoyed this book. I found Beth to be likeable with her devotion to her sister. I found myself frustrated at times with her parents and other things that went on. It was your classic case of not knowing who to trust, believe and quietly whispering to my Kindle for Beth not to do some of the things she does

Don’t Ask Don't Follow is a story of family secrets and following your gut instinct. Like I said a new author for me and one I will definitely be taking another look at.

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Beth Ralston is a paralegal at her family’s firm working alongside her best friend, Craig. They’re both workaholics who would rather work than spend time at the firm’s big party with friends and family downstairs. Her sister, Lindsay, was supposed to make an appearance at the party, but she’s an investigative reporter who’s always chasing a story and hardly ever keeps her promises.

Beth has had enough socializing and heads upstairs to talk to Craig, and hopefully find Lindsay. When she reaches Craig’s office, a woman with bright red hair, like Lindsay’s, flies out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. When Beth enters Craig’s office to grab some files, she notices that his shirt is covered in blood and he’s dead. Bethany takes off toward the elevator to follow her sister, but she vanished into thin air.

Beth rushes to her office to compose herself and to call for help, but notices that Lindsay’s phone is in her purse. When she opens it, there’s an unsent text saying: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow.”

Lindsay’s disappearance launches Beth into her own investigation that uncovers a family secret and dangerous people that would kill to keep it hidden.

This book started off strong, but I found the storyline and Beth’s anxious thoughts repetitive. Beth clumsily launched herself into the disappearance of her sister, with her lack of experience, she made terrible decisions along the way. I had already figured out the big twist around the middle of the book, and lost interest in the storyline soon after.

American author, Mary Keliikoa's latest crime mystery tale, Don't Ask, Don't Follow (2024) is a standalone thriller. Lindsay and Beth Ralstron are very different sisters, as is their relationship with their father – a wealthy lawyer running for Portland’s Mayoral Office. On the night of the party at the law firm to announce his candidature, Beth spots Lindsay fleeing an Associate’s office who has been murdered. As the police investigate, Lindsay disappears and Beth tries to discover the news story Lindsay was working on. As Beth delves deeper, she discovers a potential explosive family secret and possible connection to the illegal adoption network Lindsay was pursuing. A solid drama-building thriller with a family secret, a sister who continues to ask and follow, that is an enjoyable three and a half stars read rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Beth doesn't believe her sister Lindsay could be a murderer- that she killed her boss at the family law firm- but Lindsay has disappeared and there are just so many questions. This is a twisty tale of family secrets and corruption, some of which Linday, an investigative reporter was working to expose. Some of the more interesting interactions are between Beth and her parents and this does strain credulity at spots. That said, it's well written and kept me reading for the answers Beth- and Lindsay- are seeking. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

I’m a big thriller fan, I’ve read all different types of thrillers but this story was very different to anything I’ve read to date.

What caught my attention with this book is the title but what I didn’t realise was how addicting the book would be to read. I went in blind, not reading the synopsis or any other reviews, and within the first few pages I was hooked. The sisterly bond between Lindsay and Beth really pulled me in and played on my emotions, and driven more so by the fact Beth and myself had the same nickname growing up and the relationship between the sisters isn’t to dissimilar to the relationship and bond I share with mine.

Granted, it is a slow burn but there was lots of information to take in and whilst the twists weren’t jaw dropping, they were perfect for the story. Overall, the book is certainly a page turner, I was addicted and needed to know how the story would play out and the end certainly didn’t disappoint.